50 Christmas Trivia Multiple Choice Questions (Free)

C) Red — Rudolph first appeared in a 1939 coloring book written by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward.

C) 9 — Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

B) Candy — Buddy says elves follow the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

D) Mistletoe — This tradition dates back to ancient Norse mythology.

B) Cookies and milk — In other countries the tradition varies: British children leave mince pies and sherry, and Australian kids sometimes leave beer.

C) It grows three sizes — Dr. Seuss published the original book in 1957.

B) Germany — The tradition of decorated Christmas trees began in Germany in the 16th century.

C) Frosty — "Frosty the Snowman" was first a song recorded in 1950 by Gene Autry.

B) December 25 — Some Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7 based on the Julian calendar.

C) Small and scraggly — Charlie Brown picks a sad little natural tree while everyone else wants aluminum trees.

B) "White Christmas" — Bing Crosby's 1942 version has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.

B) A carol — The word "carol" originally meant a dance accompanied by singing.

C) Candy cane — Legend says the J-shape represents Jesus, though historians debate the origin.

C) Paris — The family is headed to Paris for Christmas vacation.

B) Boxing Day — December 26 is traditionally when servants and tradespeople received gifts (Christmas boxes) from their employers.

C) Thanksgiving — James Lord Pierpont composed it in 1857 for a Thanksgiving church service in Savannah, Georgia.

C) Japan — A hugely successful 1974 marketing campaign called "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii" (Kentucky for Christmas) made it a national tradition.

A) Jacob Marley — Marley's ghost appears in chains to warn Scrooge about the three spirits who will visit him.

C) 364 — When you count every repetition of every gift across all twelve days, the total is 364.

A) Saint Nicholas — He was a 4th-century Greek bishop in Myra (modern-day Turkey) known for his generous gifts to the poor.

B) It's a Wonderful Life — The 1946 Frank Capra film starring Jimmy Stewart.

C) Poinsettia — Named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, who brought the plant to the United States in 1828.

B) 1843 — Sir Henry Cole commissioned artist John Callcott Horsley to design the first commercial Christmas card in London.

D) Eggnog — Eggnog likely evolved from a medieval English drink called "posset," made with hot milk and ale or wine.

B) The Nutcracker — Composed by Tchaikovsky, it premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892.

B) Tinsel — Tinsel originated in Germany in the 1600s and was originally made from real silver.

B) Charles Dickens — Dickens published the novella on December 19, 1843. It sold out its first edition of 6,000 copies by Christmas Eve.

B) A dentist — Hermey is one of the most memorable characters from the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion special.

C) Ginger — While gingerbread recipes also include cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, ginger is the signature spice that gives it its name.

C) Professor Flitwick — The Charms professor oversees the Christmas decorations at Hogwarts.

B) Oogie Boogie — While Jack Skellington is the protagonist, Oogie Boogie is the gambling-obsessed villain who kidnaps Santa Claus.

C) Turkey — Saint Nicholas was born in Patara, which was part of ancient Lycia, now in modern-day Turkey.

A) "Let It Snow" — Lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne wrote it in July 1945 during a California heat wave, dreaming of cold weather.

D) Reindeer — Finland is home to the "official" Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, located right on the Arctic Circle, where real reindeer roam.

B) Die Hard — The 1988 action film takes place at a Christmas Eve party in Nakatomi Plaza. The debate about whether it counts as a Christmas movie has become a holiday tradition itself.

B) 1882 — Edward H. Johnson, a friend and colleague of Thomas Edison, hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and strung them on a Christmas tree in his New York City home.

A) Oklahoma — Oklahoma became the last state to declare Christmas a legal public holiday in 1907, the same year it became a state.

C) December 26 — The Feast of St. Stephen, also known as St. Stephen's Day, falls on December 26 and coincides with Boxing Day in many countries.

B) Goose feathers — In the 1880s, Germans created artificial trees from dyed goose feathers attached to wire branches, a response to deforestation concerns.

A) Boris Karloff — The famous horror actor both narrated the special and voiced the Grinch.

B) "Jingle Bells" — On December 16, 1965, Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra played "Jingle Bells" on a harmonica and sleigh bells they had smuggled aboard.

A) Tio de Nadal — Also called "Caga Tio" (the pooping log), children feed the log leading up to Christmas and then beat it with sticks on Christmas Eve while singing songs, commanding it to produce sweets and gifts.

C) He was not satisfied with it — Tchaikovsky found the ballet inferior to his earlier work "Sleeping Beauty" and wrote to a friend that the score was far weaker than that of his previous ballets.

B) Pope Julius I — Around 350 AD, Pope Julius I officially declared December 25 as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

C) 13 — The Icelandic Yule Lads are 13 mischievous trolls who each visit on a different night, leaving gifts in shoes for good children and rotten potatoes for bad ones.

B) $49,263 — PNC Financial Services Group has calculated the cost of all 364 gifts in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" annually since 1984. The 2024 estimate was $49,263.18.

A) There was no single standard color — While Coca-Cola did popularize the red suit in their 1930s ads, Santa had already appeared in red, blue, green, and brown in various depictions. The idea that Coca-Cola "invented" red Santa is a common myth.

B) Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas — The 2000 Jim Carrey film opened with $55.1 million, a record for a Christmas movie that stood until "The Grinch" animated reboot surpassed it in 2018.

D) 168 feet long — The Guinness World Record for the largest Christmas stocking was set in 2011. It measured 168 feet 5.65 inches (51.35 m) long and 70 feet 8.95 inches (21.56 m) wide, created by the Children's Society of London.

C) 19th century — While the first card was sent in 1843, the tradition became widespread in the 1860s after cheaper printing methods and the introduction of the halfpenny postage rate made it affordable for the masses.